Reading the books
by Louisebear
Summary: Reading the books fic except it'll be the last few chapters in each book (the ones that have the action) I plan to do all 7! Review please! The books are being read by Umbride and Hogwarts plus a few visitors (Weasley's, Tonks, Remus and the Minister) during Harry's fifth year. I plan on doing the last two chapters of each book but I need review to do it! So REVIEW PLEASEEEEE!
1. Chapter 1

I am doing a reading the books fic and I was wondering who should read it because it takes too long I won't be doing every chapter only the last couple or the important ones. I can't make up my mind of who is going to read them so I'm going to ask you guys. My choices are

Harry's parents reading them at school in their fifth year with Severus Snape and others

People from Harry's time and James potter's time together

During Harry's fifth year

Harry's kids


	2. Through the Trap Door

BANG! "Could I have your attention please children." Came the sickly sweet voice of Dolores Umbridge. "A few days ago I received seven books and a note. The note said:

Dear Professor Umbridge

I have sent you seven books detailing the life of Harry Potter. Now I know this is going to sound totally mad but these books not just detail his past but the future as well. I would like you to read these books in the Great Hall with the following people there as well as everyone in Hogwarts. Percy Weasley, Charlie Weasley, Bill Weasley, Molly Weasley, Arthur Weasley, Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin and his dog Snuffles, Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy, Fleur Delacour, Alastor Moody and the Minister of Magic. Also detentions are unable to be given for any crimes revealed in the book nor are points allowed to be taken away.

H.J.P.G.S.B

"Excellent, now I have invited those people here and they should be arriving soon." Said Professor Umbridge."

The doors burst open and the Weasley clan excluding Percy along with Remus, his dog, Fleur and Tonks all came in first and seated themselves at the Gryffindor table. The minister along with the Malfoy family and Percy Weasley all seated themselves at the high table with the teachers.

Once everyone was seated a voice sounded and the doors of the great Hall shout with a crash. "Hello everyone, this is H.J.P.G.S.B and I knew that if I put what I am about to say in the letter Professor Umbridge would have not read it out. These books detail the return of Voldemort and all the battles with him until the battle of Hogwarts. I have sent these in hope that this time not so many lives will be lost. On a private note to Professor Dumbledore your suspicion is correct on how he managed to survive death. Also because it takes too long to read the entirety of seven books there are only a few chapters for each book."

"Well that was informative," Professor Dumbledore said. "I think I would like to start reading," and Professor Dumbledore summoned the first book and began reading.

**Through the Trapdoor**

**Slowly, the room emptied as people drifted off to bed. **

**"Better get the cloak," Ron muttered, as Lee Jordan finally left, stretching and yawning.**

"Hah it mentions me second, I clearly must be important to this book," exclaimed Lee!

**Harry ran upstairs to their dark dormitory. He pulled out the cloak and then his eyes fell on the flute Hagrid had given him for Christmas. **

"This is the near the end of my first year," Harry said. "Do we finally get to find out what happens," A random sixth year asks?

**He pocketed it to use on Fluffy - he didn't feel much like singing.**

Harry groaned. "This details my thoughts," he said.

'Excellent' Professor Umbridge thought. 'I can finally prove that Potter is mad and delusional. What's even better is that the Minister is right here to witness it.'

**He ran back down to the common room.**

**"We'd better put the cloak on here, and make sure it covers all three of us - if Filch spots one of our feet wandering along on its own -"**

"You have an invisibility cloak Potter," Malfoy stated with clear jealously in his tone!

"Mr Potter, I'm afraid you are going to have to hand it over as it is an object only used by liars and deceitful people who have things to hide," Professor Umbridge said in a falsely sweet voice.

Harry cursed.

"Professor Umbridge according to #71 in the Hogwarts rule book you cannot confiscate a family heirloom from a student unless it is classified dark by the ministry," Professor McGonagall responded in an equally sweet tone.

Harry shot Professor McGonagall a thankful glance

**"What are you doing?" said a voice from the corner of the room. Neville appeared from behind an armchair, clutching Trevor the toad, who looked as though he'd been making another bid for freedom.**

**"Nothing, Neville, nothing," said Harry, hurriedly putting the cloak behind his back.**

"Really Harry, Really," the twins said shaking their heads disappointed. "I thought we taught better than that. Actually saying that you aren't doing anything when you clearly are is the worst possible thing to do all it does is make you seem even guiltier!"

**Neville stared at their guilty faces.**

**"You're going out again," he said.**

**"No, no, no," said Hermione. "No, we're not. Why don't you go to bed, Neville?"**

"Too much denial and too quickly. Again it makes you look even guiltier," the twins admonished them.

**Harry looked at the grandfather clock by the door. They couldn't afford to waste any more time, Snape might even now be playing Fluffy to sleep. **

"You three thought it was me did you, Professor Snape asked with an eyebrow raised?

"Well sir, you just seemed a bit suspicious when we were first years and the clues did seem to point to you," responded Hermione unafraid.

"You've gotten better at lying," someone said although no one could see who. Snape just glared in the general direction the voice came from and then went back to his normal past time of glaring at Sirius and Harry.

**"You can't go out," said Neville, "you'll be caught again. Gryffindor will be in even more trouble."**

"And yet you still managed to win the house cup that year," Draco Malfoy muttered angrily.

**"You don't understand," said Harry, "this is important."**

**But Neville was clearly steeling himself to do something desperate.**

"What? Throw some pillows at them and start crying like the big baby you are," hissed Blaise Zabini to the laughter of the other Slytherins.

**I won't let you do it," he said, hurrying to stand in front of the portrait hole. "I'll - I'll fight you!"**

Everyone was muttering in surprise and little whispers of "Longbottom fight someone?" Were heard across the hall. Until Ginny Weasley stood up and yelled "I bet you lot wouldn't want to go into a fight three on one when you are the one, that proves that Neville is much braver than you."

**"Neville, "Ron exploded, "get away from that hole and don't be an idiot -"**

"Way to make the situation worse genius," Ginny said loudly to Ron's blushing "and Neville isn't an idiot!"

**"Don't you call me an idiot!" said Neville. I don't think you should be breaking any more rules! And you were the one who told me to stand up to people!"**

**"Yes, but not to us," said Ron in exasperation. **

Yeah, who would want to go against the great Harry Potter and his friends," said Dennis Creevey his eyes alight with reverence?

**"Neville, you don't know what you're doing."**

**He took a step forward and Neville dropped Trevor the toad, who leapt out of sight.**

**"Go on then, try and hit me!" said Neville, raising his fists. "I'm ready!"**

**Harry turned to Hermione.**

**"Do something," he said desperately.**

"When in doubt, always turn to a female because they can always solve everything," said Justin Finch-Fletchley

**Hermione stepped forward.**

**"Neville," she said, "I'm really, really sorry about this."**

**She raised her wand.**

**"Petrificus Totalus!" she cried, pointing it at Neville.**

"I still am sorry about that," said Hermione"

**Neville's arms snapped to his sides. His legs sprang together. His whole body rigid, he swayed where he stood and then fell flat on his face, stiff as a board. **

"That hurt," Neville said in an accusatory tone.

**Hermione ran to turn him over. Neville's jaws were jammed together so he couldn't speak. Only his eyes were moving, looking at them in horror.**

**"What've you done to him?" Harry whispered.**

**"It's the full Body-Bind," said Hermione miserably. "Oh, Neville, I'm so sorry."**

**"We had to, Neville, no time to explain," said Harry.**

**"You'll understand later, Neville," said Ron as they stepped over him and pulled on the invisibility cloak.**

"I still don't you know," Neville said.

**But leaving Neville lying motionless on the floor didn't feel like a very good omen. In their nervous state, every statue's shadow looked like Filch, every distant breath of wind sounded like Peeves swooping down on them. At the foot of the first set of stairs, they spotted Mrs. Norris skulking near the top.**

**"Oh, let's kick her, just this once," Ron whispered in Harry's ear,**

"Kick her, kick her, kick her!" Fred and George started up a chant. Professor Dumbledore raised his hand and said "at this rate we will never get through them. So please quiet for a bit."

**But Harry shook his head.**

There was a collective groan from everyone

**As they climbed carefully around her, Mrs. Norris turned her lamplike eyes on them, but didn't do anything.**

**They didn't meet anyone else until they reached the staircase up to the third floor. Peeves was bobbing halfway up, loosening the carpet so that people would trip. **

**"Who's there?" he said suddenly as they climbed toward him. He narrowed his wicked black eyes. "Know you're there, even if I can't see you. Are you ghoulie or ghostie or wee student beastie?"**

"You guys have such bad luck sometimes," said Padma Patil

**He rose up in the air and floated there, squinting at them.**

**"Should call Filch, I should, if something's a-creeping around unseen."**

**Harry had a sudden idea.**

**"Peeves," he said, in a hoarse whisper, "the Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible."**

"Brilliant! I take back my earlier comments of not being able to lie Harry," cried Fred and George in delight.

For some reason it was Colin who responded saying "What do you expect it's Harry Potter.

**Peeves almost fell out of the air in shock. He caught himself in time and hovered about a foot off the stairs. "So sorry, your bloodiness, Mr. Baron, Sir," he said greasily. "My mistake, my mistake - I didn't see you - of course I didn't, you're invisible - forgive old Peevsie his little joke, sir."**

"Impersonating anyone especially a noble ghost is incredibly rude, you are very fortunate that I am not able to take points otherwise I would." Said professor Umbitch _sorry _Umbridge

**"I have business here, Peeves," croaked Harry. "Stay away from this place tonight." **

**"I will, sir, I most certainly will," said Peeves, rising up in the air again. "Hope your business goes well, Baron, I'll not bother you."**

**And he scooted off**

**"Brilliant, Harry!" whispered Ron.**

The entire hall was in agreement including the teachers with the exception of Professor Umbridge.

**A few seconds later, they were there, outside the third-floor corridor - and the door was already ajar.**

**"Well, there you are," Harry said quietly, "Snape's already got past Fluffy."**

**Seeing the open door somehow seemed to impress upon all three of them what was facing them. Underneath the cloak, Harry turned to the other two.**

**"If you want to go back, I won't blame you," he said. "You can take the cloak, I won't need it now."**

"You are so noble," Cho sighed gazing at Harry only to be on the receiving end of Ginny's glares

**"Don't be stupid," said Ron.**

**"We're coming," said Hermione.**

**Harry pushed the door open.**

**As the door creaked, low, rumbling growls met their ears. All three of the dog's noses sniffed madly in their direction, even though it couldn't see them.**

**"What's that at its feet?" Hermione whispered.**

**"Looks like a harp," said Ron. "Snape must have left it there."**

"Even if that was me, I would not have used a harp," said Professor Snape in his usual menacing voice.

**"It must wake up the moment you stop playing," said Harry. "Well, here goes..." He put Hagrid's flute to his lips and blew. It wasn't really a tune, but from the first note the beast's eyes began to droop. Harry hardly drew breath. Slowly, the dog's growls ceased - it tottered on its paws and fell to its knees, then it slumped to the ground, fast asleep.**

**"Keep playing," Ron warned Harry as they slipped out of the cloak and crept toward the trapdoor. They could feel the dog's hot, smelly breath as they approached the giant heads. "I think we'll be able to pull the door open," said Ron, peering over the dog's back. "Want to go first, Hermione?"**

"Aren't Gryffindor's supposed to be brave and chivalrous? I don' think it's very brave or chivalrous to ask a girl to jump down a hole when you can't see the bottom," remarked a first year Hufflepuff much to Ron's embarrassment.

**"No, I don't!"**

**"All right." Ron gritted his teeth and stepped carefully over the dog's legs. He bent and pulled the ring of the trapdoor, which swung up and open.**

**"What can you see?" Hermione said anxiously.**

**"Nothing - just black - there's no way of climbing down, we'll just have to drop."**

**Harry, who was still playing the flute, waved at Ron to get his attention and pointed at himself.**

"Now that is brave and chivalrous like a true Gryffindor," said the same Hufflepuff.

**"You want to go first? Are you sure?" said Ron. "I don't know how deep this thing goes. Give the flute to Hermione so she can keep him asleep."**

**Harry handed the flute over. In the few seconds' silence, the dog growled and twitched, but the moment Hermione began to play, it fell back into its deep sleep.**

**Harry climbed over it and looked down through the trapdoor. There was no sign of the bottom.**

**He lowered himself through the hole until he was hanging on by his fingertips. Then he looked up at Ron and said, "If anything happens to me, don't follow. Go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, right?"**

"You do know that you could have gone to any other Professor and they would have helped you?" Asked Professor Dumbledore.

"Well we did actually go to Professor McGonagall earlier that day and she brushed us off and we couldn't go to Professor Snape because we thought it was him. Professor Quirrel wouldn't have been much help not to mention he wouldn't have been there and that only left a few other teachers who we didn't know very well." Replied Hermione.

**"Right," said Ron.**

**"See you in a minute, I hope...**

"That's reassuring," remarked Daphne Greengrass sarcastically.

**And Harry let go. Cold, damp air rushed past him as he fell down, down, down and - FLUMP. With a funny, muffled sort of thump he landed on something soft. He sat up and felt around, his eyes not used to the gloom. It felt as though he was sitting on some sort of plant.**

**"It's okay!" he called up to the light the size of a postage stamp, which was the open trapdoor, "it's a soft landing, you can jump!"**

**Ron followed right away. He landed, sprawled next to Harry.**

**"What's this stuff?" were his first words.**

**"Dunno, some sort of plant thing. I suppose it's here to break the fall. **

"How thick can you be? If we are trying to prevent something from being stolen then why would we provide something to help you," said professor Snape in disbelief.

**Come on, Hermione!"**

**The distant music stopped. There was a loud bark from the dog, but Hermione had already jumped. She landed on Harry's other side. **

**"We must be miles under the school , she said.**

**"Lucky this plant thing's here, really," said Ron.**

**"Lucky!" shrieked Hermione. "Look at you both!"**

**She leapt up and struggled toward a damp wall. She had to struggle because the moment she had landed, the plant had started to twist snakelike tendrils around her ankles. As for Harry and Ron, their legs had already been bound tightly in long creepers without their noticing.**

"Devil's Snare," said Neville quietly although everyone heard him.

**Hermione had managed to free herself before the plant got a firm grip on her. Now she watched in horror as the two boys fought to pull the plant off them, but the more they strained against it, the tighter and faster the plant wound around them.**

**"Stop moving!" Hermione ordered them. "I know what this is - it's Devil's Snare!"**

**"Oh, I'm so glad we know what it's called, that's a great help," snarled Ron, leaning back, trying to stop the plant from curling around his neck. "Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill it!" said Hermione. "Well, hurry up, I can't breathe!" Harry gasped, wrestling with it as it curled around his chest.**

**"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare... what did Professor Sprout say? – it likes the dark and the damp **

**"So light a fire!" Harry choked.**

**"Yes - of course - but there's no wood!" Hermione cried, wringing her hands. **

"All the Slytherin's started muttering about Hermione's blood status

**"HAVE YOU GONE MAD?" Ron bellowed. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"**

**"Oh, right!" said Hermione, and she whipped out her wand, waved it, muttered something, and sent a jet of the same bluebell flames she had used on Snape at the plant.**

"Ms Granger, If I had known I would have given you detention till the end of your school career for setting me on fire. Especially as I was only trying to help," snarled Professor Snape.

"Minister, I think we should make a note of Ms Granger's tendencies to cause harm to people and her knowledge and the use of dangerous spells," uttered Professor Umbridge in fake delight.

Professor Dumbledore kept on reading so that they could avoid this argument.

**In a matter of seconds, the two boys felt it loosening its grip as it cringed away from the light and warmth. Wriggling and flailing, it unravelled itself from their bodies, and they were able to pull free.**

**"Lucky you pay attention in Herbology, Hermione," said Harry as he joined her by the wall, wiping sweat off his face.**

"How can you not pay attention in Herbology? It is so interesting and intriguing," said Professor Sprout in horror. Neville nodded in agreement with her as did all the other Herbology lovers.

**"Yeah," said Ron, "and lucky Harry doesn't lose his head in a crisis - 'there's no wood,' honestly."**

**"This way," said Harry, pointing down a stone passageway, which was the only way forward.**

**All they could hear apart from their footsteps was the gentle drip of water trickling down the walls. The passageway sloped downward, and Harry was reminded of Gringotts. With an unpleasant jolt of the heart, he remembered the dragons said to be guarding vaults in the wizards' bank. If they met a dragon, a fully-grown dragon - Norbert had been bad enough...**

"Mr Potter, do you mean to tell me that that outrageous story about a dragon that Mr Malfoy told me was actually true," shrieked Professor McGonagall?

"Yes Ma'am," Harry responded uncertainly, looking at professor Umbridge's delighted face wondering what on earth was going through her deranged head.

**"Can you hear something?" Ron whispered.**

**Harry listened. A soft rustling and clinking seemed to be coming from up ahead.**

**"Do you think it's a ghost?"**

**"I don't know... sounds like wings to me."**

**"There's light ahead - I can see something moving."**

"Well that's not eerie at all," said a first year Gryffindor who looked quite pleased at his wit and then quickly ducked when everyone stared at him.

**They reached the end of the passageway and saw before them a brilliantly lit chamber, its ceiling arching high above them. It was full of small, jewel-bright birds, fluttering and tumbling all around the room. On the opposite side of the chamber was a heavy wooden door.**

**"Do you think they'll attack us if we cross the room?" said Ron.**

**"Probably," said Harry. "They don't look very vicious, but I suppose if they all swooped down at once... well, there's no other choice... I'll run."**

"Honestly Harry, must you be so self-sacrificing," asked Professor Lupin?

**He took a deep breath, covered his face with his arms, and sprinted across the room. He expected to feel sharp beaks and claws tearing at him any second, but nothing happened. He reached the door untouched. He pulled the handle, but it was locked.**

"Of course it was, why would an obstacle that Harry Potter has to face be easy," exclaimed Colin Creevey?"

**The other two followed him. They tugged and heaved at the door, but it wouldn't budge, not even when Hermione tried her Alohomora charm.**

"That's very impressive that you knew that in your first year, Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall said with a slight smile looking at Hermione." Who was looking uneasily at Professor Umbridge making a note on a clipboard and chowing it to the Minister who nodded.

**"Now what?" said Ron.**

**"These birds... they can't be here just for decoration," said Hermione.**

**They watched the birds soaring overhead, glittering - glittering?**

**"They're not birds!" Harry said suddenly. "They're keys! Winged keys - look carefully. So that must mean..." he looked around the chamber while the other two squinted up at the flock of keys. "... yes - look! Broomsticks! We've got to catch the key to the door!"**

**"But there are hundreds of them!"**

**Ron examined the lock on the door.**

**"We're looking for a big, old-fashioned one - probably silver, like the handle."**

"Good observation, Mr Weasley," squeaked professor Flitwick. Fred and George were pretending to look astonished and said quite loudly Ron and observant are two words I never thought I would hear in the same sentence unless there was a is not in between them.

**They each seized a broomstick and kicked off into the air, soaring into the midst of the cloud of keys. They grabbed and snatched, but the bewitched keys darted and dived so quickly it was almost impossible to catch one.**

**Not for nothing, though, was Harry the youngest Seeker in a century. **

Snuffles barked loudly and jumped onto Harry and started licking his face much to Harry's chagrin and disgust.

**He had a knack for spotting things other people didn't. After a minute's weaving about through the whirl of rainbow feathers, he noticed a large silver key that had a bent wing, as if it had already been caught and stuffed roughly into the keyhole.**

**"That one!" he called to the others. "That big one - there - no, there - with bright blue wings - the feathers are all crumpled on one side."**

**Ron went speeding in the direction that Harry was pointing, crashed into the ceiling, and nearly fell off his broom.**

"Ah Ronnie" the twins said grabbing his shoulders "we are ashamed to have you as a brother because what Weasley would crash into a ceiling while on a broom. Certainly not us! Ron went bright red in embarrassment.

**"We've got to close in on it!" Harry called, not taking his eyes off the key with the damaged wing. "Ron, you come at it from above - Hermione, stay below and stop it from going down and I'll try and catch it. Right, NOW!"**

**Ron dived, Hermione rocketed upward, the key dodged them both, and Harry streaked after it; it sped toward the wall, Harry leaned forward and with a nasty, crunching noise, pinned it against the stone with one hand. Ron and Hermione's cheers echoed around the high chamber.**

"If Ron dived and Hermione rocketed up and you said that Ron was bad on a broom then shouldn't they have crashed?" Asked a curious Slytherin much to everyone's shock because Slytherin's and Gryffindor's do not mix…. At all….. Most of the teachers were thinking that maybe this would also be good for house unity.

**They landed quickly, and Harry ran to the door, the key struggling in his hand. He rammed it into the lock and turned - it worked. The moment the lock had clicked open, the key took flight again, looking very battered now that it had been caught twice.**

**"Ready?" Harry asked the other two, his hand on the door handle. They nodded. He pulled the door open.**

The Hall erupted in cheers from most of the students and the less mature adults and the Weasley's.

**The next chamber was so dark they couldn't see anything at all. But as they stepped into it, light suddenly flooded the room to reveal an astonishing sight.**

**They were standing on the edge of a huge chessboard, behind the black chessmen, which were all taller than they were and carved from what looked like black stone. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces. Harry, Ron and Hermione shivered slightly - the towering white chessmen had no faces. **

"Wicked," a Ravenclaw first year breathed and blushed as everyone turned to look at him.

**"Now what do we do?" Harry whispered.**

**"It's obvious, isn't it?" said Ron. "We've got to play our way across the room."**

**Behind the white pieces they could see another door.**

**"How?" said Hermione nervously.**

**"I think," said Ron, "we're going to have to be chessmen."**

**He walked up to a black knight and put his hand out to touch the knight's horse. At once, the stone sprang to life. The horse pawed the ground and the knight turned his helmeted head to look down at Ron.**

**"Do we - er - have to join you to get across?" The black knight nodded. Ron turned to the other two.**

"Professor could they think for themselves?" Asked Hermione in curiosity. "only very simply," Professor McGonagall replied.

**"This needs thinking about he said. I suppose we've got to take the place of three of the black pieces..."**

**Harry and Hermione stayed quiet, watching Ron think. Finally he said, "Now, don't be offended or anything, but neither of you are that good at chess -"**

"Did you know that if you are going to say don't be offended at the start of the sentence then you shouldn't say the sentence at all because it is rude and so you will probably offend someone," said Dean Thomas.

**"We're not offended," said Harry quickly. "Just tell us what to do."**

**"Well, Harry, you take the place of that bishop, and Hermione, you go next to him instead of that castle."**

**"What about you?"**

**"I'm going to be a knight," said Ron.**

"That's ickle ronniekins favourite piece, said Charlie to Ron's mortification more because of the nickname more than anything.

**The chessmen seemed to have been listening, because at these words a knight, a bishop, and a castle turned their backs on the white pieces and walked off the board, leaving three empty squares that Harry, Ron, and Hermione took.**

**"White always plays first in chess," said Ron, peering across the board. "Yes... look..."**

**A white pawn had moved forward two squares.**

**Ron started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently wherever he sent them. Harry's knees were trembling. What if they lost?**

**"Harry - move diagonally four squares to the right."**

**Their first real shock came when their other knight was taken. The white queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board, where he lay quite still, facedown.**

"Ron" said Ginny. "Don't you get it like that later in the game?"

"Wait and see Ginny. Wait and see." Ron said much to Ginny's disgruntlement.

**"Had to let that happen," said Ron, looking shaken. "Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione, go on."**

**Every time one of their men was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Soon there was a huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall. Twice, Ron only just noticed in time that Harry and Hermione were in danger. He himself darted around the board, taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost black ones.**

"If I hadn't already given you points for your brilliant chess skills I would now Mr Weasley," said Professor Dumbledore with a beaming smile on his face.

"Professor Dumbledore, the note said that points were unable to be taken or given, replied Professor Umbridge smugly.

"I am afraid Delores you are a bit confused because the note only says that points are unable to be taken," said Professor Dumbledore with the twinkle in his eye twinkling a lot more than normal.

**"We're nearly there," he muttered suddenly. "Let me think let me think..."**

**The white queen turned her blank face toward him.**

**"Yes..." said Ron softly, "It's the only way... I've got to be taken."**

"Are all Gryffindor's as self-sacrificing as you three seem to be? Asked Tonks

"Yea a bit but not as much as them," responded a third year Gryffindor.

**"NO Harry and Hermione shouted.**

**"That's chess!" snapped Ron. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I take one step forward and she'll take me - that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!"**

**"But -"**

**"Do you want to stop Snape or not?"**

"I resent the fact that you seem to believe that it was me after the stone," Muttered Professor Snape darkly.

**"Ron -"**

**"Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!"**

**There was no alternative.**

**"Ready?" Ron called, his face pale but determined. "Here I go – now don't hang around once you've won."**

**He stepped forward, and the white queen pounced. She struck Ron hard across the head with her stone arm, and he crashed to the floor - Hermione screamed but stayed on her square - the white queen dragged Ron to one side. He looked as if he'd been knocked out.**

"Did it hurt," Astoria Greengrass asked?

"Yea I guess," Ron replied looking a bit bemused.

**Shaking, Harry moved three spaces to the left.**

**The white king took off his crown and threw it at Harry's feet. They had won. The chessmen parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear. With one last desperate look back at Ron, Harry and Hermione charged through the door and up the next passageway.**

**"What if he's -?"**

"You thought I was dead?Ron said amused.

Hermione wacked him over the head with a book and said "you had just been wacked on the head by a great big stone thing, what do you think?

**"He'll be all right," said Harry, trying to convince himself. "What do you reckon's next?"**

**"We've had Sprout's, that was the Devil's Snare; Flitwick must've put charms on the keys; McGonagall transfigured the chessmen to make them alive; that leaves Quirrell's spell, and Snape's."**

**They had reached another door.**

**"All right?" Harry whispered.**

**"Go on."**

**Harry pushed it open.**

**A disgusting smell filled their nostrils, making both of them pull their robes up over their noses. Eyes watering, they saw, flat on the floor in front of them, a troll even larger than the one they had tackled, out cold with a bloody lump on its head.**

"Do I even want to know," Charlie Weasley said shaking his head at the ridiculous situations they got themselves into.

**"I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one," Harry whispered as they stepped carefully over one of its massive legs. "Come on, I can't breathe."**

**He pulled open the next door, both of them hardly daring to look at what came next - but there was nothing very frightening in here, just a table with seven differently shaped bottles standing on it in a line. **

**"Snape's," said Harry. "What do we have to do?"**

**They stepped over the threshold, and immediately a fire sprang up behind them in the doorway. It wasn't ordinary fire either; it was purple. At the same instant, black flames shot up in the doorway leading onward. They were trapped.**

**"Look!" Hermione seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. Harry looked over her shoulder to read it:**

**Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,**

**Two of us will help you, which ever you would find,**

**One among us seven will let you move ahead,**

**Another will transport the drinker back instead,**

**Two among our number hold only nettle wine,**

**Three of us are killers, waiting bidden in line.**

**Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,**

**To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:**

**First, however slyly the poison tries to hide**

**You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;**

**Second, different are those who stand at either end,**

**But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;**

**Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,**

**Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;**

**Fourth, the second left and the second on the right**

**Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight.**

"You are screwed!" Fred and George sang in delight.

**Hermione let out a great sigh and Harry, amazed, saw that she was smiling, the very last thing he felt like doing.**

**"Brilliant," said Hermione. "This isn't magic - it's logic - a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever."**

"That was my purpose, Miss Granger," Professor Snape said in his usual tone

**"But so will we, won't we?" "Of course not," said Hermione. "Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple."**

**"But how do we know which to drink?"**

**"Give me a minute."**

**Hermione read the paper several times. Then she walked up and down the line of bottles, muttering to herself and pointing at them. At last, she clapped her hands.**

**"Got it," she said. "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire - toward the Stone."**

"Very good job, Miss Granger. Not many people would be able to figure it out that quickly." Professor Snape muttered to himself.

**Harry looked at the tiny bottle.**

**"There's only enough there for one of us," he said. "That's hardly one swallow."**

**They looked at each other. **

**"Which one will get you back through the purple flames?"**

**Hermione pointed at a rounded bottle at the right end of the line.**

**"You drink that," said Harry. "No, listen, get back and get Ron. Grab brooms from the flying- key room, they'll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy - go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, we need him. I might be able to hold Snape off for a while, but I'm no match for him, really."**

"There is the self-sacrificing trait popping up again. You are way worse than your mother and father were," Professor Lupin grumbled.

"Such a sweet boy," A girl sighed loudly sounding totally star struck.

**"But Harry - what if You-Know-Who's with him?"**

**"Well - I was lucky once, wasn't I?" said Harry, pointing at his scar.**

**"I might get lucky again."**

"You just jinxed it Potter," called Theodore Nott who everyone looked at in shock for knowing a muggle saying. Well those who were muggleborns and half-bloods did as the Purebloods didn't know anything about muggles.

**Hermione's lip trembled, and she suddenly dashed at Harry and threw her arms around him.**

**"Hermione!"**

**"Harry - you're a great wizard, you know."**

**"I'm not as good as you," said Harry, very embarrassed, as she let go of him.**

**"Me!" said Hermione. "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things - friendship and bravery and - oh Harry - be careful!"**

"Harry your wasting time," squeaked a Ravenclaw 1st year. Cho Chang hushed him saying "everything turns out fine so stop interrupting."

**"You drink first," said Harry. "You are sure which is which, aren't you?"**

**"Positive," said Hermione. She took a long drink from the round bottle at the end, and shuddered.**

**"It's not poison?" said Harry anxiously.**

"Sir, out of curiosity what would have those poisons done to you if you drank them," Asked Harry"

"None of them would have killed you but they all would have renedered you into severe pain so that they would be too weak to fight back or to try to run away once they were apprehended.

**"No - but it's like ice."**

**"Quick, go, before it wears off."**

**"Good luck - take care."**

**"GO!"**

**Hermione turned and walked straight through the purple fire.**

**Harry took a deep breath and picked up the smallest bottle. He turned to face the black flames.**

**"Here I come," he said, and he drained the little bottle in one gulp.**

**It was indeed as though ice was flooding his body. He put the bottle down and walked forward; he braced himself, saw the black flames licking his body, but couldn't feel them - for a moment he could see nothing but dark fire - then he was on the other side, in the last chamber.**

**There was already someone there - but it wasn't Snape. It wasn't even Voldemort.**

"IT WAS QUIRREL, WASN'T IT?! An excitable first year yelled. "That's what the tales say," Another first year responded

"Hermione remind me to find out what they are saying in these tales," Harry said quietly.

"Okay," Hermione responded.

"That was very enlightening and I'm sure the next will be even more so. Let us have a quick break and then we will continue on to the second and last chapter detailing Mr Potter's life. Also who would like to read next?" Professor Dumbledore said.

Hermione jumped on her seat and stuck her ramrod straight arm in the air and called out "I would Professor if you don't mind.

"Of course not," Professor Dumbledore said and levitated the next chapter towards her.

Hermione picked it up and sat straight before beginning to read.

**A/N: PLEASE REVIEW!**


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